Camden Abu Dis Friendship Association (CADFA), a charity based in Tufnell Park, is organising to bring a girls’ football team from Abu Dis in Palestine to the UK for a trip in October 2019. Abu Dis is a town divided by the Israeli Separation Wall and with illegal settlements confining Palestinians to decreasing space, opportunities to play football are scarce. We are supporting CADFA in raising money for the girls aged 13-16 to come to the U.K. and play their first international game, meet other young people from the U.K., and share with us their life experiences. Opening up dialogue via the beautiful game is a chance to hear each others' stories and inform ourselves as to the lived realities of Palestinians, as told by the girls.

This trip offers the girls a chance to temporarily leave behind a home that is shaped by check-points, military zones and the Israeli Separation Wall, which restricts the girls' access to schools and requires a permit to seek medical care at the nearest hospital 30k away. Lifting these barriers and experiencing life outside of these confines, instead playing football as children, is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

CADFA needs to raise £1,000 for each girl in order to pay for her visa, flights and expenses whilst she is here and to make this happen. With a central funding group, CADFA aims to bring 10 girls to the U.K. on this trip.

All funds raised on top of the 1,000 will go towards bringing another girl from the team to play football here in the U.K.!